Twin Paranormal

Chapter 9: Gatehall

"Hooollllyyyy shit. Look at that!" Ryan turned the camera to look through the windshield.

The car slowed as the road became bumpy and riddled with potholes. The structure ahead was massive and foreboding as it sat high up on the hill overlooking the valley. River pulled up to the Jeep in front of the steps of the building and turned off the engine.

"This place is massive!" River undid his seatbelt and turned to look at the others.

"And the sky doesn't make it look creepy at all. At least the haze from the fires adds to the scare factor." Wyatt opened his door and made a face, looking up at the dark ashy colored clouds. "We might need to use a mask. It's gnarly out here."

"Let's go talk to Matt and then we can come back and set everything up." Ryan opened his door and slid his mask over his mouth and nose. "Yeah, the air quality isn't good." He glanced into the backseat. "Are you going to stay here with the car or do you want to come inside?"

Quinn nodded. "I'll go. The whole 'face your fears' thing." Sighing, she opened her door and made a face. "It's like smoky soup out here." She slid her mask on and followed the boys up the stairs. Her eyes scanned the windows of the creepy house before landing on the figure on the porch.

"Matt? Hey, I'm Ryan." He shook the dark haired guy's hand. "This is River, Wyatt and Quinn."

"Hey." Matt nodded at each of them, his dark eyes studying them individually. "Welcome to Gatehall Manor." He waved his hand at the exterior. "Before we go in, I have to have you sign waivers. The manager of the property likes to cover himself."

"It's cool. We understand." Wyatt nodded and took the clipboard from Matt. "It's the usual 'we won't sue if we get injured or scratched or possessed'."

"What?!" Quinn's eyes went wide. "That's really on there?"

The boys laughed.

"She's new." River teased, winking at her.

"I take it you haven't been to a place like this then?" Matt smiled at the girl.

Quinn shrugged. "I'm here for moral support."

Ryan laughed. "Something like that." He took the clipboard from River and flipped the page, signing his name to the waiver.

Matt took the clipboard and laid it on the bench. "Okay.....well......like I said, welcome. Let's get started." He opened the massive front door and stepped inside. "The owner has been cleaning up gradually. Most of the rooms upstairs have been emptied of trash and there are a few rooms that have tape over the doorways. Either the floors aren't safe or they haven't been checked out yet."

"Wow." Wyatt said quietly, his eyes moving over the grand staircases on both sides of the foyer. He pulled his mask down and nodded. "This place has been taken care of."

"It was built in the late 1890s. Originally it was the Gatehall family. Jacob Gatehall owned two of the local silver mines......you might have passed them on the way here. He moved his family here after he struck it rich in 1892. He married a daughter of an Irish immigrant, Roisin, and had two kids." He led the way to the left and into a room with floor to ceiling windows. "This was what would've been their front parlor.....later turned into a sick room for some of the injured miners after an explosion....and then a classroom when it was an all girls school."

Quinn wandered over to the old piano by the windows. Her fingers ghosted over a few of the keys, a soft tune filling the room.

"You play?" Matt asked as he watched the girl.